Loop transferring needle for knitting machines



July 15, 1941. HOLMES 2,249,080

LOOP TRANSFERRING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In en or 2M 7% J Wax/W A Home y LOOP TRANSFERRING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Home y Patented July 15, 1941' LOOP TRANSFERRING NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Henry Harold Holmes, Leicester, England, assignor to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application November 1, 1939, Serial No. 302,433 In Great Britain November 3,1938

8 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines, both circular and flat, of the kind having two needle bedsand to loop transferring needles for use therein for effecting transference of loops.

not be regarded as limited in this respect since it may also be applied, for instance, to flat knitting machines the two needle beds of whichare inclined relatively to each other. It is principally the intention to use loop transferring needles of the improved form hereinafter to be described in a cylinder and dial type of machine in which .the cylinder needlesv are disposed at right angles or substantially so to the dial needles, although such needles are also suitable for use in machines wherein one bed or the other is of conical form.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved loop transferring needle for use in the transference of loops as aforesaid, which needle, without the use of a companion loop transferring instrument, is capable of temporarily distorting a loop without straining and bursting it and in such a way as to facilitate the penetration of said loop by a loopreceiving needle in the opposite needle bed.

A knitting needle made in accordance with the invention has a widened formation or spread portion which extends laterally at opposite sides of the stem of the needle and is situated some distance along the stem from the hook in suchwise as to be adapted to spread or expand a loop on the needle and in so doing to cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open, e. g., substantially square, formation.

By the back portion of a loop" is meant those Portions of the sides of a knitted loop or stitch which merge into or are near the adjacent socalled sinker loops.

Although mainly intended for. application to a latch needle, the present improvements may also be applied to a bearded needle. but in any event the idea is to provide just below or at the rear of the latch (when open) or of the beard, as the case may be, a, laterally widened formation or spread portion of the character herein described, as distinct from a cranked or bent part or a laterally bulged formation, adapted for the purpose specified.

The laterally widened formation or spread portion may be prov-idedby twisting the stem of the needle. It is, however,- within the scope of the invention to produce the desired formation on the stem of the needle in any suitable manner other than by twisting the latter. For example, the production of the said formation may sometimes be preferably effected by a stamping or a pressing operation. I

I In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a specific form of the improved transferring needle, 7

Figure 2 is a front view of the same as seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on .the line III-III of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of so much of a cylinder and dial machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the invention thereto,

Figure 5 is a diagram includinga few of the loop transferring needles in the machine and cams for operating and controlling said needles as will be hereinafter described, and

Figures 6-8 are enlarged detail view's illustrating one of the loop transferring needles and adjacent dial needles at different stages of a loop transferring operation.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are drawn to a larger'scale thanFigures 4 and 5 but to a smaller scale than the remaining figures.

Like parts are designated by similarreference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the needle represented therein is of the latch type and accordingly includes a slotted swell I in which the latch 2 is pivotally mounted. The yarn engaging hook is.indicated at 3 and the stem of the needle at I. The portion 4a of the needle stem immediately beneath or to the rear of the slotted swell I is widened slightly in the conventional manner, viewing the needle in side elevation as in Figure 1, and between this widened portion and the main body portion of the stem 4 there is provided a loop engaging or retaining shoulder 5. During manufacture of the needle said widened and shouldered portions are worked in such a way that viewing the finished needle edgewise as in Figure 2 there are provided at opposite sides of the stem l-adiacent to the aforesaid swell-outwardly shaped protuberances 4 and l which are in effect oppositely bowed or similarly formed and together constitute a laterally widened formation 8 over which a loop to be transferred can be readily spread or expanded without being strained or caused to burst. The protuberances i and 1 are more or less of generally curved form, although the central portions thereof may, as shown more clearly in each of Figures 6 and I, be somewhat flattened as indicated at 4. In any event in this example the laterally widened formation I is so shaped that when a loop such as that indicated at l in Figure 6 is stretched across it and thereby opened or widened the back portion I of said loop assumes a square or oblong formation which, of course, materially facilitates the penetration of the loop by a receiving needle. In this respect the use of the improved transferring needles is advantageous as compared with the use of many of the transferring needles as heretofore made, which latter, when they are being advanced or projected to the transferring position, have the effect of causing the loops which are to be transferred to become pearshaped or to assume a more or less closed condition, thereby making the penetration of these loops by the receiving needles somewhat difllcult. The fashioning of the appropriate part of the stem is effected in such a way that the hook 3 and latch 2 remain in alignment with the main straight portion of the stem and is also prefer- J ably such that the central portion of the laterally widened formation 8 extends transversely across the stem at an angle a of approximately 50 or thereabouts thereto (see Figure 3). By rewon of fashioning the needle in the manner just described the loop engaging or retaining shoulder 5 becomes located substantially midway or thereabouts between the ends of the laterally widened formation 8 where it merges into the stem 4 and, of course, is displaced to one side of the latter as shownin Figures 2, 6 and 7. As hereinbefore alluded to, the laterally widened formation I may be produced by twisting the stem 4 to the required extent. In this instance, the shoulder 5 may be formedeither before or-after the stem has been twisted. Alternatively, a convenient way of producing the formation 4 is to press the material lying to the front of the longitudinal centre line I; of the needle (see Figure 1) laterally to the left-hand side of the needle, viewing this edgewise from the front as in Figure 2, so as to form the protuberance t, and at the same time pressing the material lying on the opposite side of the 'centre line b laterally to the righthand side of the needle to produce the protuberonce 1.

The improved needle preferably also has a stem at least the upper portion of which is of a laterally resilient character whereby said needle can be readily deflected laterally, for example in any of the ways hereinafter to be described, at such times as it is advanced or projected to the transferring position so as to enable an opposite receiving needle to be projected through the loop to be transferred, and can thereafter resume its normal straightened condition prior to being withdrawn again into its trick or groove. Such lateral resilience of the upper portion of the flexible needle may, if desired, be enhanced by removing a portion of the material of the needle on one lateral face thereof. e. g.'by grinding, so as to render the needle thinner as viewed from the front edge thereof in the region at which it is to be flexed. Thus. referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that the face 4b of the needle has been ground or equivalently operated upon to produce therein a depression ll whereby the thickness of the stem 4 is reduced at c (Figure 2) for the purpose specified. The said depression may alternatively be provided on the opposite face of the needle. Inany event it is to be clearly understood that the location at which such a depression is produced may vary according to requirements. For instance, as shown the depression II is located practically midway between the opposite ends of the needle but in some instances it may be preferred to reduce the thickness of the latter immediately below the laterally widened formation I, or at a suitable intermediate position. The lateral resilience of the upper portion of the needle may be enhanced by forming a recess in the rear edge thereof suchwise as to effect a reduction of the width of the stem 4 at this location. A recess of this character is indicated by dot-and-dash lines at II in Figure 1, but here again while this recess is shown immediately below the formation I it is to be understood that its position may vary within limits.

The stem 4 may be of any conventional form below the loop engaging or retaining shoulder I and the needle may be adapted to be operated to effect loop transference in any known manner. For example, the needle may be provided with a butt such as I2 for engagement with suitable operating means, e. g. cams of any suitable form, whereby the longitudinal movements of the needle for transferring purposes are effected. Conveniently the same butt l2-which may, as shown, he provided at or near the end of the needle stem remote from the hook 3--may serve for operation of the needle for both loop transference and for knitting.

The improved needle may, however, have a butt or butts in addition to the operating butt so as to enable same to be used in conjunction with selecting or patterning means as aforesaid.

If desired, moreover, the transferring needles may in some instances be operated through the medium of lacks as hereinafter described.

By appropriately reducing the thickness of the needle, e. g. by a grinding operation, adjacent to the shoulder 5, there may be provided at this location a recess such as that indicated in Figure 1 by the full line of parabolic form, this recess being of gradually increasing depth and deepest where it is widest, that is to say at the rear edge of the needle. The somewhat inclined or sloping surface produced by the reduction in the thickness of the needle in the manner described at this location assists at appropriate times in guiding the head of a receiving needle to ensure that the latter is properly projected through an expanded loop (such as l) on the transferring needle. The provision of such a recess, however, may not always be found to be essential.

The improved transferring needle is therefore adapted to perform a dual purpose. That is to say it is adapted for the transference of loops as aforesaid as well as for knitting, thereby dispensing with the necessity of providing companion loop transferring instruments in coniunetion with the needles for spreading or expanding loops to be transferred. The invention thereby provides a means of lessening the production costs in respect of the manufacture of knitted fabrics on knitting machines of the kind herein referred to in so far. of course, that transferring transferring needles made in accordance with the invention maybe prearranged in either or each bed in company with ordinary needles and sultably operated to transfer loops to corresponding needles in the opposite bed. w I

In the application of the invention to circular knitting machines of the cylinder and dial type it is preferred to provide transferring needles in the needle cylinderyalthough such needles could, of course, be provided in the dial, or in both the cylinder and thedial.

InFigures 4 and 5 the application of the invention to a machine of the cylinder and dial type is illustrated. Portions'of the cylinder and dial are indicated at l3 and M respectively, A transferring needle is provided in each trick or groove IS in the cylinder, and dial needles iii of conventional form are provided inthe dial. The cams in the cylinder cam box ll include advancing and retracting cams l8 and I9 adapted for action upon the operating butts I2 to impart longitudinal movements to the transferring needles to move the latter to and from transfer height at respectively. If,- as may be, the machine is of the stationary cylinder type, then the cylinder cam box and customary dial cam cap will rotate and move in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 5. If, on the other hand, the machine is of the type wherein the needle beds rotate then these will, of course, move in the reverse direction. In Figure 4 the cylinder needle is at transfer height d. The transferring needle at the left hand side of Figure 5 is also shown at transfer height while the two following needles are in the course of being raised to this height by the cam i8.

According to an alternative construction and arrangement (not shown) selected transferring needles may be raised totransfer height through the medium of jacks and subsequently lowered after loop transference byreason of engagement of the butts I2 of said needles with the retracting cam l9. For example, such jacks may be provided in the same tricks or grooves as, and formed with frontal butts or like formations adapted for engagement with the lower extremities of, the transferring needles. Moreover, the

. jacks may be formed with downwardly directed extensions adapted to be moved under the control of patterning means suchwise that their lower extremities are brought into and out of the path of a jack raising cam according to patterning requirements all as will be readily understood by those acquainted with the art concerned.

As hereinbefore alluded to, the transferring needles may, for the purpose before mentioned, be deflected laterally at such timesasthey are advanced or projected to the transferring position. Conveniently, for this purpose deflecting means of any suitable character may be associated with the transferring needles in the appropriate bed or each bed of the machine, as the case may be, such means being adapted when loop transference is to be efiected, to deflect the transferring needles either seriatim or in groups to such positions that needles of the other bed can be easily projected through, i. e. caused to penetrate, the

loops heldby the deflected needles. For, example, a deflector cam such as that shown at may be arranged to oppose the advancing cam l8 and be adapted when the needles are approaching thetransferring position to engage the hooks 3 thereof and thereby deflect the needles laterally. The face 20a of the said cam, which opposes the inclined operative edge I So of the ad- ,vancing cam, may, as shown in Figure 5, be made concave so as .to provide a surface the contour of which is such that the deflector cam, upon relative rotation or movement between it and the needles in the knittingv direction, efiects therequired deflection of the needles in asteady manner. The cam 20 may be supported by any suitable means, for example-by a bracket mounted on the dial cam cap or on an associated part. Alternatively, a pivoted needle .deflecting cam movable to and from an operative position, and adapted when operative to engage the hooks of transferring needles may be employed. Again,

deflection of the needles may be effected by separately controlled deflectors associated one with eachindividual transferring needle, or a deflecting wheel having teeth to engage with and deflect I the needles may be adopted.

Difierent stages during a loop transferring op eration are illustrated in Figures 6-8. In Figure 6 a transferring cylinder needle is shown in the transfer position at which stage the loop I to be transferred has been caught and lifted by the 'loop.; In Figure 8 the transferring needle has been'retracted thereby completing the transference by leaving the loop 1 on the dial needle.

Instead of deflecting the transferring needles, however, it is within the scope of the invention to effect relative shogging movement of the two needle beds of the machine to bring the needles of one bed close to the needles of the other bed to facilitate transference of loops. Thus, for'instance, in a cylinder and dial type of machine, especially with a single feeder, any suitable provision may be made for shagging the dial in relation to the cylinder preparatory to the transference of loops.

The improved transferring needles can be promay either be widened equally on opposite sides thereof in accordance with normal practice or, where provision is made for deflecting the transferring needles in said bed, the laterally widened portion of each trick o groove may be slightly offset in relation to the remainder of the latter so as to facilitate deflection of the needle therein.

spect to the latter as viewed in crowsection, said widened formation being thereby adapted to expand aloop on the needle and in so doing to cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open formation, for the purpose herein specified.

2. For use in a knitting machitel: a 130p transfer: needle comprising a s an a yarnensi n: hook at one end of said stem, the latter being twisted laterally some distance from the hook so as to provide on the needle, viewing it edgewise, a laterally widened formation which extends equally on opposite sides of the stem for expanding a loop on the needle and causing the back portion of said loop to assume an open formation, for the purpose herein specified.

3. For use in a knitting machine, a loop transferring needle comprising a stem, a yam-engaging hook at one end of said stem, a loop-engaging and supporting shoulder which proiects from said stem for engagement with a loop to be trans-.- ferred, and, some distance along the stem from the hook, at widened formation which extends laterally at opposite sides of said stem and also obliquely with respect to the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation being thereby adapted to expand a loop engaged by the aforesaid shoulder and in so doing to cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open formation, for the Purpose herein specified.

4. For use in a knitting machine, a loop transferring needle comprising a-stem, a yarn-engaging hook at one end of said stem, a widened formation which extends laterally at opposite sides of said stem and also obliquely with respect to the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation being disposed some distance along the stem from the hook, and, on and between the opposite ends of said laterally widened formation, a loop-engaging and supporting shoulder, the widened formation serving to expand a loop engaged by the shoulder and to open out the back portion of said loop, for the purpose herein specified.

5. For use in a knitting machine, a loop trans ferring needle comprising a stem, a yarn-engaging hook at one end of said stem, and, some distance along the stem from the hook, a widened formation which extends laterally at opposite sides of said stem and also obliquely with respect sides of said stem and also obliquely with reto the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation serving to expand a loop on the needle and cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open formation, and at least that portion of the stem provided with the widened formation'being made resilient whereby said portion can be deflected laterally, for the purpose specifled.

6. For use in a knitting machine, a loop transferring needle comprising a stem, 1:. yarn-engaging hook at one end of said stem, and, some distance along the stem from the book, a portion which is so pressed as to present a widened formation which extends laterally at opposite sides of said stem and also obliquely with respect to the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation being thereby adapted to expand a loop on the needle and cause the back portion 1 of said loop to assume an open formation.

7. For use in a knitting machine, a loop transferring needle comprising a stem, a yarn-engaging hook at one end of said stem, a latch which is pivotally mounted in a slotted portion of said stem, and, some distance along the stem from the hook, a widened formation which extends laterally at. opposite sides of said stem and also obliquely with respect to the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation being thereby adapted toexpand a loop on the needle and in so doing to cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open formation, for the purpose herein specified.

8. For use in a knitting machine, a loop transferring needle comprising a stem, a yarn-engaging hook at one end of said stem, a latch which is pivotally mounted in a slotted portion of the stem, a frontal operating butt on said stem, a loop-engaging and supporting shoulder which projects from the stem for engagement with a loop to be transferred, and, some distance along the stem from the hook, a widened formation which extends laterally at opposite sides of the stem and also obliquely with respect to the latter as viewed in cross-section, said widened formation being thereby adapted to expand a loop engaged by the aforesaid shoulder and in so doing to cause the back portion of said loop to assume an open rectangular formation, for the purpose herein specified.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES. 

